GUEST SPEAKER

Keynote SpeakersWe have been blessed to have, former The University of Alabama Football players John and Brodie Croyle as our keynotes speakers for this year conference. John was a defensive end (69-73) for Alabama’s 1973 National Championship football team, playing for the legendary Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. At 19, John felt he had been given a gift to work with young people. His dream was to have the best children’s home in America. On the advice of Coach Bryant, John declined opportunities for professional football to pursue his dream of helping children in need. Since 1974, more than 1,800 children have called Big Oak Ranch home. John's son, Brodie, also played for Alabama (01-05) and was a NFL quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. In Croyle's four years playing for the Tide, he set numerous school records. Croyle led the Crimson Tide to the 2006 Cotton Bowl Classic and was named the game's offensive MVP. Currently, Brodie is serving as the Associate Executive Director at Big Oak. John’s philosophy is: “A hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of house we lived in, the kind of car we drove or how much money we had in the bank, but the world may be different because you and I were important in the life of a child.” In the book Leadership Excellence, Pat Williams cites the 7 sides of leadership: vision, communication, people skills, character, competence, boldness, and most importantly, a servant’s heart. Pat Williams recognizes John as being a leader with all 7 sides. We are very excited and thankful to have John and Brodie share with us on Monday, April 20th at 6:00p.m.